Cheesy Beef and Shells Recipe

I’m Rose Oatley and I’m still going through my kitchen renovation, but I did want to share a quick and easy meal with you. Cheesy beef and shells. So easy to make, yet so delicious.

Why You’ll Love This

So easy to make, yet so delicious.

This will give it a nice creamy flavor.

Nothing like a nice, delicious, quick and easy meal to enjoy during the week.

Ingredients

For the Meat and Sauce:

• one quarter of an onion
• fresh parsley
• ground beef (one and a half to two pounds, preferably lean)
• kosher salt (to your taste)
• pepper (to your taste)
• one teaspoon of oregano
• one teaspoon of Italian seasoning
• one teaspoon of paprika
• three teaspoons of minced garlic (equivalent to three cloves of garlic)
• beef broth (one and a half cups, unsalted)
• one cup of heavy cream (heavy whipping cream)
• one jar of marinara sauce
• one eight ounce bag of cheese
• Parmesan cheese

For the Pasta:

• medium-sized shells (pasta)
• about a teaspoon of salt
• about a teaspoon of olive oil

Instructions

1. Start by chopping and dicing one quarter of an onion.
2. Chop up some fresh parsley.
3. In a large pan, start browning your ground beef and breaking it up with your spatula.
4. While you’re browning your beef, start boiling your water.
5. To your water, add about a teaspoon of salt.
6. Add about a teaspoon of olive oil to help your pasta from sticking.
7. Once your water is ready, add your pasta to cook it al dente.
8. Make sure you follow your package directions.
9. Before you add your onions, if you have any fat in there, make sure you drain your fat first.
10. When your meat is just slightly pink, add your onions so we can start sauteing these.
11. Saute these for a couple of minutes.
12. Turn your heat down to about a number three.
13. Add a little bit of salt, to your taste.
14. Follow with some pepper, also to your taste.
15. Add one teaspoon of oregano.
16. Add one teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
17. Hit it with one teaspoon of paprika.
18. Add three teaspoons of minced garlic.
19. Mix to combine all spices.
20. Add one and a half cups of unsalted beef broth.
21. Add one cup of heavy cream.
22. Add one jar of marinara sauce.
23. Let this cook for a few minutes on low while we go drain our pasta.
24. Drain your water from the pasta.
25. Add all of our shells.
26. Give everything a good mix to combine all the flavors, making sure that all your shells are also smothered in the sauce.
27. Let it sit for at least one minute.
28. Then come back to add your cheese.
29. Add one whole layer of cheese all around the top.
30. Add a little bit of Parmesan cheese.
31. Go get your cover and cover your pan up.
32. Cook it until your cheese basically melts.
33. Start adding your parsley on top.
34. Go plate.
35. Add just a little bit more parsley on top for garnish.

Cooking Tips

• You’ll need some ground beef, preferably lean if you have it.
• I would stick to about one and a half to two pounds of ground beef.
• You also want to add about a teaspoon of olive oil to help your pasta from sticking.
• Before you add your onions, if you have any fat in there, make sure you drain your fat first.
• The reason you want to make sure you cook your pasta al dente is because it continues to cook for a little while longer in the sauce.
• Usually I like to shred my own cheese from the block because that one will melt a lot nicer versus the one in the bag that I’m using today.
• I do prefer the one that we shred on our own.
• This is going to kind of help the cheese melt a little faster.
• It usually takes about three to five minutes for the cheese to melt.

Serving Suggestions

• You can enjoy this with a side of salad and a side of freshly baked garlic bread.

I have plated this on a pasta bowl. Let’s give it a try. Mmm. Oh my gosh, guys. This is so good.